Thus the Angel proceeds in his description of Antiochus, the type of the terrible Power to be predicted,

of Christianity in that empire, which gave rise to the Man of sin: And that verse 35th predicts the Papal persecutions of the witnesses down to the sixteenth century. This scheme I cannot con. ceive to be correct, for the following reasons:

1. Simply to predict the line of events, from the time then present, till the rise of the Power, which he had in view to predict, appears not to have been any part of the object of the revealing Angel. If it had been, it would not have been said, chap. x, 1, A thing was revealed unto Daniel; and the thing was true; but the time appointed was long. (See also verse 14th.) But it must have been said, that many things were revealed to Daniel; some of which were far distant, and some of which were near. To reveal that one thing appears to have been the sole object of the Angel in chapters x and xi. And the manner of

his doing this appears to have been, not the predicting of a course of events which should reach to the time of the rise of the Power; but the predicting of the Power by his type, Antiochus Epiphanes; and then passing immediately to the antitype. If the object of the Angel were to predict simply the course of great events, which should reach down to the rise of Antichrist, why did he dwell for at least ten verses, (from 21st to 31st, 'according to the scheme of this author,) on the wars of Antiochus Epiphanes; and then touch so lightly on the subsequent events, which were of far greater magnitude, and which were to occupy seventeen or eighteen centuries? Why should he, after dwelling for ten verses on the affairs of Antiochus, appropriate but one verse to the great event of the coming of Christ in the destruction of Jerusasalem, and of the Jewish nation by the Romans; two verses to the ten persecutions of the primitive Christian church, under Pagan Rome, and the corruptions, which issued in the Papal apostasy; and but one verse to all the Papal persecutions of the witnesses down to the sixteenth century? Who can account for such an amazing want of proportion in the communications of the Angel, if simply a prediction of facts were his object?

2. When a person or event is predicted by his type, it is not usual for the prophet, after predicting the type, to give a sketch of events, which should take place between the type and the antitype. This is usually no part of his object. But the writer, in such cases, slides from the type to the antitype, without re gard to the length of time, or distance of place. This we find in Psalm 72d, in the predictions of the kingdom of Christ, with its typical reign of Solomon. This we find in the various predictions of the coming of Christ; and of the battle of the great day. We should hence be led to expect, that after the revealing Angel had presented to Daniel the type of the Power

and in a detail of events under his tyranny, till verse 36. Here he drops the type and takes the antitype, as

in view, he would pass immediately to the antitype. And this I apprehend is the fact.

Let

3. The language from verse 31st to 35th appears in perfect. unison with the preceding prediction of Antiochus. But it does not seem at all to apply to a variety of new subjects, and distant events, without a most unnatural and forced construction. us examine. For the ten preceding verses, it is a given point, that Antiochus is the subject. In the last of the ten, or verse 30th, we read, "For the ships of Chittim shall come against him, (Antiochus on his expedition in Egypt,) therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do: he shall even return, and have intelli. gence with them, that forsake the holy covenant. Verse 31. And arms shall stand on his part." On whose part? What does grammatical construction; what does the common sense of the reader reply? Does the word his here relate to the person, who is the subject of the preceding verse, and of the ten preced. ing verses? Or does it relate to a new subject; a subsequent empire; and to events some centuries after the events of the preceding verse? If liberty may be taken to say the latter, may not any expositor take liberty to fix any sense to a text, which he may please? There is sometimes a shifting in relatives, to a different person from the antecedent, when type and antitype are the subject. The antecedent may be the type, and the relative may respect the antity pe. But in no other cases can this be admissible. But, says the objector, does not the substance of this 31st verse decide that it relates to the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans? And they (the arms, that shall stand on his part,) shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination, that maketh desolate. Does not our Lord, Mark xiii, 14, apply this very text to the siege of Jerusalem? Answer. By no means. Daniel had spoken of the abomination of desolation, in three passages; chap. ix, 27, relative to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans; chap. xi, 31, (the passage under consideration) relative to the persecutions of the Jews by Antiochus; and chap. xii, 11, relative to the rise of Popery, or Mohammedism, or both, at the beginning of the 1260 years. And now, to which of these did our Lord, Mark xiii, 14. refer, as he applied it to the destruction of Jerusalem? Surely to the passage in chap. ix, 27, which relates to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans; and not to either of the two other passages which relate to different periods and-events. We may as well say, Christ referred to the passage in Dan. xii, 11, which relates to the beginning of the 1260 years; as that he referred to that in chap. xi, 31; and thus coufound the whole order of those prophecies. The very thing predicted, in

is common in prophetic writings; and he immediately describes the thing which was to be revealed.

the passage under consideration, forbids that it should be applied to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. For polluting the sanctuary of strength, and burning it, are two very different things. The latter was performed by the Romans. But the former by Antiochus; and the whole verse was fulfilled by him, when he with armed forces plundered, and defiled the temple; called it the temple of Jupiter Olympius; placed in it the image of this heathen god; forbade the Jewish sacrifices; and compelled the Jews to eat swine's flesh, and to conform to the idolatrous rites and manners of the heathen.

Verses 32, 33. And such as do wickedly against the covenant, shall he corrupt by flatteries; but the people, that do know their God, shall be strong, and do exploits. And they, that understand among the people, shall instruct many, yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, and by captivity, many days. Who shall corrupt by flatteries these apostates from the covenant? It is said he shall do it. Antiochus has been the subject of the whole paragraph, without the least interruption, or notice of the introduction of a new subject. The unity of the whole passage seems to decide, that the people spoken of were the Jews under the persecution of Antiochus; and not the promiscuous Christians of other nations many centuries afterwards. Verse 34: Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help; but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. To apply this to the revolution in Rome, and those lucrative establishments in the Church, by which Constantine designed to set the Church superior to the violence of her enemies, but which in fact proved the occasion of the rise of the Papal hierarchy, ap. pears to violate the unity of the whole prophecy. Verse 35; And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for a time appointed. And does this relate to a new subject still? To the persecuted witnesses under the Papal hierarchy, down to the sixteenth century? Will not such a mode of exposition open the door to the wildest conjectures of men, in the interpretation of prophecy? There appears to be a perfect unity in the whole fifteen verses, (from the 21st to the 35th inclusive,) which is incapable of being broken, or of permitting the different parts to be applied to a variety of different powers, and in far distant ages. And it is a fact, that events took place under Antiochus Epiphanes, which appear to answer to every part of the predictions. (See 1 Macc. i, 21-23, and from the 41st to the end; and chap. ii. 2 Macc. the 2d, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th chapters; and Heb. xi, 35—38.) It being said, that some of them of understanding should fall to try them-to the time of the end, because it is yet for an appointed time, does not neces

SECTION II.

This Infidel Power predicted in Dan. xi, from the 36th verse to the end.

THE way being thus prepared, the Angel, comes to the Power, who was to be revealed, whose time was long; or who was to exist just at the close of the wicked ages of the world.

And the king shall do according to his will, and he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god; and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods; and shall prosper, till the indignation shall be accomplished; for that, which is determined, shall be done.

Upon this verse, let the following things be noted:

1. That here is a change of characters, or a new subject introduced, is acknowledged by expositors; and is evident from all that follows. What precedes was but a few centuries after Daniel's time. But what follows, or what the Angel had in view to reveal, was to take place at a time then far distant, just at the time of the end. This we learn from verse 40th; And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him; and the king of the north shall come against him. What precedes the 36th verse, is spoken of the king of the south, and king of the north; in order to exhibit Antiochus, as has been shown. But now, at the time of the end, many centuries after the time of Antiochus, we find those two powers uniting against a third Power; who is the new Power introduced verse 36th. And the king, says the Angel; q. d. The king, that I have in view; who has been described in his type; and is now to be described in his own character.

sarily carry our thoughts to the battle of the great day, nor to the end of the world, nor to the sixteenth century; but to the end of the tyranny and persecutions of Antiochus, the subject then under consideration. As Antiochus was presented here as the type of Antichrist, so the end of his persecution was typical of the time of the end of the antitypical Antichrist.

2. By a king, in the language of prophecy, is generally to be understood a kingdom, or civil power, whether monarchical, or republican; and not an individual person. In this sense we are to understand the king in this text. Instances of this kind in prophecy

are numerous.

-3. In this passage we are presented with a great atheistical Power, who in his commencement is to be anarchical; raised up to be an instrument of the Divine indignation; and who is to prosper, till that work of judgment shall be accomplished. His licentiousness is first noted; he shall do according to his will; breaking every restraint. His anarchy follows; and he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god; i. e. above every king or legitimate ruler. That this is the sense of the passage, is evident. The following clause decides it, where the Most High is called, the God of gods; i. e. the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Kings and earthly rulers are, in Sacred Writ, called gods. I said, Ye are gods. Thou shalt not revile the gods; i. e. thou shalt not speak evil of the rulers of thy people. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. In such passages, kings, and other lawful rulers are called gods; which passages may suggest the true sense of this Power's exalting himself above every god. War with kings was to be among his first characteristics. His Atheism follows; and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods. He shall blaspheme and deny the God of heaven, the King of kings. And a train of astonishing successes shall follow, or attend his arms, till the work of judgment, for which he is raised shall be accomplished. For the Divine counsel has originated the event for judgment; and nothing can frustrate its accomplishment.

up,

Verse 37; Neither shall he regard the god of his fathers, nor the desire of women; for he shall magnify himself above all. Kings, and the God of heaven, were before denounced. Now his fathers' god, their pretended head of the church, so long venerated, even as a god, in all Popish countries, is by this Power rejected.